The Role of Effort–Reward Imbalance for Reservists on a Military Deployment

Abstract

The present study extended the effort–reward imbalance (ERI) model (Siegrist, 1996b), first by differentiating between separate reward components, second by including intrinsic reward, and third by additionally predicting a non-health outcome (i.e., turnover intention) in a military context. Regression analyses of 789 reservists found financial and esteem reward to moderate the impact of extrinsic effort on depressive symptoms, whereas only financial reward moderated the effort turnover intentions relationship. Results supported the usefulness of the extended ERI model in the military context. Relevant areas for future research on the military effort–reward perspective are discussed.

Notes

The views expressed in this manuscript are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official policy or position of the U.S. Army Medical Command or the Department of Defense (paragraph 4-3, AR 360-5).

Paul D. Bliese is now at the Department of Military Psychiatry, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD. Jessica Lang is now at the Institute for Occupational Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Germany.

Note. *p < .05 two-sided.

**p < .01 two-sided.

***p < .001 two-sided.

^† p < .05 one-sided.

*p < .05 two-sided.

**p < .01 two-sided.

***p < .001 two-sided.